holcombe



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. G. HOLCOMBB.

ELEGTRIGARC LAMP.

(No'ModeL) 110.269,41?. Patented Dec.19,1882

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. G. HOLGOMBB.

ELECTRIC ARG LAMP.

Patented Deo.19,1882.

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UNITED STATES ALFRED G. HOLCOMBE, OF DANIELSONVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL K. COLBORN, (TRUSTEE,) OF NET YORK, N. Y,

ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

`SPECIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,417, dated December 19, 1882. Application tiled February 21, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom fit may concern Be it known thatl, ALFRED G. HoLooMBE, of Danielsonville, Windham county, State ot' Connecticut, have invented certain new and usel'ul Improvements in Electric-Arc Lamps,

ot' which the following is a specification.

In application, No. 6,480, for Letterslatent tiled by meApril2,1880,areshown and claimed as a regulating device for electric currcntstwo ro solenoids so arranged and connected as to be mutually attractive when a to-and-fro electric current is caused to pass through them, and in combination with the mechanism of an electric lamp adapted to form and maintain an arc between the ends of carbon rods.

This invention has for its object the further practical application ot' the principle ein braced by thelaw established byAml'iere-viz., the mutual attraction of parallel electric currents flowzo ing in the same direction and their mutual repulsion when flowing in opposite directions. l place two tlat coils of insulated wire in close proximity, parallel, face to face, each carried by a suspended bar provided at their lower ends with carbon rods whose free ends are in contact when no electric current is passing through the coils, but are caused to separate as soon as a to-and-fro electric current traverses the coils, and so allow said current to form an 3o electric are between theirends,thecarbon rods and the suspended hars being in the circuit between the two flat coils.

Aspeed-regulatingdevice to prevent the too sudden separation ot' the carbons, and an adjustable stop device to be used in combination therewith, or separately, also form a part of this invention, whichfurther embraces a shunting device adapted to short-circuit the to-and- .fro current from one of the coils and the arc 4o when the carbons are consumed to within a short distance of their holdingsockets, and cause the current to flow through an adjoining` lamp provided with carbon rods adjusted ready to produce an electric light. l

In the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of my improved electric lightshunt and speed-re- Fig. 2, Sheet l, is a similar ing apparatus with the tarding devices.

' view in section minus the shunt and speed-re- 5o tarding devices. Fig. 3, Sheet l, is a sectional elevation taken at right angles tothe View Fig. l. Fig. 4. Sheet l, ist plan. Fig. 5, Sheet l, is a transverse section of the speed-retarding device. Fig.6,Sheet 2,is a inodilicationot the 55 upper part ot' the apparatus in section. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, is a side elevation ot' the same. Fig. 8, Sheet 2, is a front elevation ot' another modication; and Fig. 9, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of the same. 6o

The two carbon rods t and c' are suspended side by side and secured respectively to the bars l) and b by means of the clam ps b2 b2. The upper ends ot' the bars b and b are respectively connected to the disks of insulating material, c and c', which carry on their adjacent faces the iat coils of insulated wire d and d. The disks c and c are fastened te the T-pieces c and c', provided with the screws c2 e2, the points of which rest in cavities formed in the 7o ends of the screws c3 e3, screwed through the horizontal arms ofthe bracketsfandf on the lower side ofthe plate of insulating material g, by means ot' which the lamp is supported in the ordinary manner. rPhe cavities in the ends of the screws e3 e3 are provided with cups, of glass or other suitable insulating material, or the screws themselves are insulated where they pass through the brackets fj". The upper ends ot' the supporting-screws c2 longed, so that they will come in contact with the plate g or flanges ot' the bracketsj'f before their pointed ends clear the cavities in the screws e3 c3, thus preventing the separation of the coils and carbon-carrying bars from the rest ofthe lamp when it is moved about. The pointed supporting-screws c2 e2 permit of the movement of the carbons to and from one another with the least possible amount ot' friction, and also allow the carbons to be adjusted 9o to bring their ends in line.

To counterbalance the coils and the bars b and b so as to bring the ends of the carbon rods a and a in contact when no current is passing through the lamp, as shown at Fig. 2, the adjustable weights b3 b3 are secured to rods projecting from the outer sides of the bars I) and b'.

e2 are pro- 8o I prefer to use with this class of electric lighting apparatus thin tlat rods of carbon, as shown, with the object ot' causing the same to he perfectly consumed The carbon rods a and aare setat an angle to one another by means of their clamping-sockets b2 b2 being hinged to the ends ot' the rods b and I), and they are held in position when the angle is determined h v tightening the screws ofthe hinge-joints. The object of setting the carhons at an angle is to cause the length oi' the are to increase, and so increase its resistance as the carhons become shorter, and so decrease in resistance, the angle ofthe carbons being such that the increment of the arc-resistance equals the decrement of the .arhon-resistance, the resistance of the lamp thereby remaining constant as the carbons are consumed. Y

The electric current enters the binding-post 7l., and passes, by the wire h', to the T-piece e, which is connected thereto as near the center of oscillation as possible, so as not to affect the free movement of the bar b. From the T-piece e it enters the coil d at its outer end,and from the center to the bar b, down the bar b to the end ofthe carbon rod a., which is now in contact with the carbon rod a', up the carbon et' and bar b to center of the coil d', from the outer end of coil d to the center of oscillation ofthe T-piece e, through the wire i to hinding-post i, and back to the generator by conductor t2. As the current passes through the two flat parallel coils d and d in opposite directions, said coils are caused to separate, and so the arc is produced between the ends of the carbon rods.

The lamp will operate with a continuous current; but l find that a much more energetic action is produced between parallel conductors with a to-and-i'ro current.

Instead of arranging` the parallel conductors as iiat circular spirals, they may be elliptical or rectangular in form, and they will operate as wellwhen one is slightly concave and the other correspondingly convex.

The extent to which the carbon rods are allowed to separate is governed by the set-screw j, which passes through an arm on the bar b and butts against an insulated plug on the bar b. The current employed is suiiiciently powerful to always keep the screw j against the plug on the bar b when the are is of proper length, and this stop prevents the arc breaking, as might occur should the repulsive action ofthe current in passing through the coils d and d he allowed to act on them unrestrictedly. To also govern this movement of the carbon rods, I propose in some cases to use a speed-retardingdevicesuch as is shown at Figs. 1, 4, and 5, which consists of a cylindrical case, k, provided with two or more fixed divisionplates, la it', placed radially therein, and a shaft, l, with as many wings as there are division-plates k' k.

0n the top of the shaft Ira double-crank arm is secured, the ends of which are connected to the upper ends of the levers m and m by means ofthe links n and n. The levers my and m are pivoted to downwardly-projecting arms m2 m2, and their lower ends are provided with set-screws, which butt against insulated plugs o o on the hars b and b', they heilig so held by the springs o o. In the case la is placed a suitable tluid-as oil, glycerine, 85o.- which offers resistance to the wings on the shaft l when the bars b and b are being separated. 'lhe speed-retarding device may he used in connection with the stop j, or either may be used independently of the other.

To the bar b is secured the spring 2J, with insulating material between them. The lower bent end of the spring is provided with a refractory metal and bears against the carbon rod a,andwhen the carbon rods are consumed up to this bent end of the spring itis released, and the pin 1)' makes contact with the bar b, thereby short-cireuiting the current from the carhons and the dat coil d' and allowing it to pass to the binding-post tl ot' the adjoining lamp, Fig. 2, by the conductor p2. The. current, after actuating the parts ot' lamp Fig. 2, to produce an are between the ends ot' its carbons iu a similar manner to that described as occurring in lamp Fig. 1, which is now inoperative, passes back to the generator from the binding-post t', which is connected to the conductor i2 oll the first lamp.

Any number of lamps may be automatically successively lighted by providing them with this shunting device, which is also adapted to he applied to other lamps without any material changes in its construction.

Instead of utilizing the repulsive action ot'v two parallel electric currents iiowing in opposite directions to cause the carbon rods to separate, as above described, the attractive action of the currents by causing them to tlow through the parallel coils in the same direction maybe utilized to separate the carbons auth-form the arc between their ends by the disposition of the coils d and d shown in Figs, 6 and 7. The frames t and t", pivoted above the plate g, carry the coils d and d', and their tail-pieces 1212 are connected to the snspended bars b and b hy the link r3 fr". The lower part of the lamp is not shown in these views, its connection with the upper part heing understood from the description of the preceding views. The coils d and d are in this case formed of flat ribbons ot' copper, with ribbons ot' paper or other suitable insulating material between the successive turns and on the outside ot' the coiled copper ribbons, which are then placed in the circular parts ot' the frames t' and t". This manner of forming the coils is for some reasons preferable to coilinginsulated wire on disks of non-conducting material, and will probably be the method employed by me in constructing lamps on this principle. The connections are made to the binding-posts 71. and 'i by wires, as shown. The arrowsindicate the direction ofthe current iu passing through the coils d and d and the hars b and b.

IOO

IOS

IIO

Figs. 8 and 9'show another modification, in which the parallel coils are so arranged in relation to one another that the action of the current in passing through them causes them to move to or from one another in a lateral direction', instead ot' with a direct axial movement.A The carbon-carrying bar b'is xed rigidly to the plate g, and the bar bis pivoted thereto by the screws s s in such a manner as to have no electrical connection between the bars b and b. '.lhe coils d and d are held in circular frames ot the bars b and b,which are twisted at their lower parts so as to bring the carbon rods a and a at right angles to the position they occupy in Figs. 1,2, and 3 in relation to the coils d and d. The current enters the outer end of the coild by the conductor t, and from its inner end to the bar b by the conductor t', down the bar b, up the bar b to the center ofthe coil d by the conductor b3,and out of the coil d', back to the generator by the conductor t".

rIhe invention is shown as embodied in a hanging lamp. It may be applied to other styles of lamp to form and maintain an electric arcV between the ends of vcarbon rods, and in all cases one ot" the carbon-carrying bars may be stationary, if desired, as shown at Figs. 8 and 9.

Ido not claim broadly the combination, with the carbon-carrier of an electric lamp, of means for shunting the currentarouud the lamp when the carbon rods are consumed, as such device is shown in English Patent No. 5,157 of 1879.

It is obvious that thetwo parallel coils d d are adapted to be used in other forms of electric lamps, and the reciprocal substitution of them and the solenoids referred to atthe comn mencement of this specification may be made in a manner well understood by those familiar with the art ot' electric lighting.

Any one or more ot' the various devices herein shown combined, constituting an electric lighting apparatus, may be used independently, and I do not wish to confine myself to the particular construction and arrangement of devices shown; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric-arc lamp adapted to utilize a to-and-fro electric current, in combination, two depending bars adapted to be moved freely to and from one another, two flat metal coils secured to said depending bar, arranged face to face, and two carbon rods secured to the lower-ends ot' the depending bars, the whole being arranged in single circuit, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbei'ore set forth.

2. In an electric lighting apparatus, the combination of two suspended bars,each provided at its lower end with an adjustable carbonholding socket, whereby the carbon rods held by them may be arranged in such angular relation to one another that the sum of the resistance ot' the carbon rods and thearo formed between their ends sha-ll be a constant quantity, as set forth.

' 3. In combination, the pivoted bars b and b, the flat coils ot' insulated wire cl and d', the carbon rods a and a, and the adjustable stop j, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. In combination, the speed-regulator 7c lm n, the pivoted bars b and b', the dat coils ot' insulated wire d and df, and the carbon rods a and a', substantially as and for the purpose set forth;

5. In combination, the springp, pin p', carbon rod a', bar 1),'constituting a shunting device ot' an electric lamp, and the conductorp?, connecting the spring p to the binding-post ot' an adjoining lamp, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof' I have hereunto hand this 15th day of February, 1881.

ALFRED G. HOLGOMBE.

Set my Witnesses ALFRED SHEDLOCK, 1I. D. WILLIAMS. 

